Prayer or Monologue?

This week I'm challenging my self to “Read my Bible and pray every day”.  This sounds simple unless you’re like me.  I can sum up what I know about prayer in 4 words, “I talk too much”.

Seriously, if I’m honest with myself I can admit that there are times I approach my Bible reading and prayer time as a task to check off my list.  I do it but, what did I reap from it?  Typically, when I pray I do most of the talking.  Who else, that I have any kind of relationship with, do I communicate with like that?  If I did, they’d probably stop hanging out with me.

One of the hardest things for me to do is be still and just listen.  I’ve heard that God is talking to us all the time but how often do we, on purpose, take the time to hear what He has to say?  Check out what these verses say:

John 14:16-17New International Version (NIV)

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you.

1 Corinthians 3:16New International Version (NIV)

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

Romans 8:26-27New International Version (NIV)

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Here’s my challenge to myself this week.  I’m going to see if I can spend about 15 minutes a day just listening.  Sounds crazy doesn’t it?  Take time to hear what the Creator of the universe might have to say to me??  Crazy!!